Feeding mechanism for sewing-machines.



No. 677,3ls. Patnted lune 25, |901.

A. A. MEHRITT. FEEDING MEGHANISM FORSEWING MACHINES.

(Application led Feb. 15, 1897.) (Nu Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

Wl 11155555 N j WM No. 677,3l8.

Patented lune 25, |90l. A. A. MERRITT. FEEDING MEIJHAIIISMA FOR SEWING MACHINES. l

v (Application led Feb. 15, 1897.) v(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

llllllll WITH 5555 L ya @few FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Feb. 15, 1897.)y

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

Patented lune 25, 190i.

A.A. MEHRITT.

FEEDING MEGHANISH FOB SEWING MACHINES.

(Application led Feb. 15, 1897,) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WIT 55555 s norms persas cu.'Pnoro-Lxmc,. wAsmNcrroN. n. c.

UNiTnD STATES PATENT Ormea;

ARTHUR A. MERRITT, OF OOHOES, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO W. PIERREPONT WHITE, I-IIIGH WHITE, AND CLARENCE B. OROUSE, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,318, dated June 25, 1901.

' Application filed February 15, 1897. Serial Noi 623,508. (No model.)

To all 1071.071?, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. MERRITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oohoes, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feeding Mechanism for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 1o forming a part of this specification, in eX- plaining its nature.

The invention relates to the class of sewingmachines known as universal-feed sewingmachines, and is an improvement upon the x5 machine described in Letters Patent No. 519,676, dated May S, 1894, granted J. T. Jones.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a sufcient portion of the mazo chine to represent my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in cross vertical section upon the dotted lines 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective, illustratingl the application to the presser-foot of .a guide for directing or guid ing a narrow piece of fabric like braid onto the surface of the material to which it is to be attached and to the stitching devices. Fig. it is a View in plan, representing a piece of braid as thus attached to other material. Fig.

3o 5 is an enlarged view, principally in plan, to'

illustrate the work-plate and its construction, the feed-dog, and the mechanism for moving the same lengthwise the bed of the machine. Fig. 6 is aview principally in plan of devices for moving the feed-dog forward and back in a straight line.

In the drawings, A is the bed of the machine. Opening from its front edge ce is a wide recess a', in which is arranged the work- 4o plate B, the work-plate having on each side a flange b,which extends under the edge of the bed lupon each side of the recess. (See Figs, l and 2.) Theflanges and sections upon the upper surfaces of the plate adjacent thereto also bear upon the'surfaces of the ribs b', and they may be slightly set into said surfaces, (see Fig. 2,) if desired. The work-plate has the openings b2 extending across the same at vor near its center, in which the sections c of the feed-dog O are adapt-ed to be moved vertically 5o and also lengthwise the recesses. This provides the work-plate with a support for the material having a number of grids or crossbars b3 practically over the feed-'dog and close to the throat D of the machine and which affords means whereby the material being sewed is supported closely to the stitch-forming devices and is keptfrom sagging while it is being fed. This is of especial consequence in the stitching of very light or thin delicate 6o elastic fabrics. The work-plate also has the long slot or hole b4 extending lengthwise it midway the openings b2 and in line with the throat D to permit the movement of the plate in relation to the throat and without moving over the same.

It will be seen that the work-plate has a large area upon each side of the dog of sufficientextent to receive and hold the fabric or material being stitched. It will also be seen 7o that the surface of the work-plate is slightly above the surface of the bed Aand that the work-plate acts to receive and hold the material instead of the bed, as heretofore.

The work-plate has a movement lengthwise the bed imparted to it by the cam-groove e in the cam-wheel E, and the same cam also moves the feed-dog lengthwise the bed. The cam-groove is represented as connected with the plate or slide c', to which a rearward eX- 8o tension or tongue b5 of the work-plate is attached at its front end by means of a lever e2, pivoted at e3, having a cam-pin e4 at one end to enter the groove e and connected at e5 at its opposite end to an adjustable lever e6, which in turn is connected with the end of the slide'e. These operating devices are like similar ones described in the said Patent No. 519,676, as are also the devices for moving the feed-dog O transversely the bed and for 9o raising and lowering the same.

It will be understood that the feed-dog C is moved lengthwise the bed to vary the distance apart or length of stitches which are being placed laterallyinafabricor outoflinewithits general line of progression and that it is moved transversely the work-plate to feed the material forward or forward and back and that these movements of the feed-dog take place while the work-plate is stationary and while it is being moved and that by providing the work-plate with the movement specified the material is better fed and held than by a structure which does not sufficiently support the material and which moves in all directions with the feed-dog.

The presser-foot F is mounted at the lower end of the presser-foot rod f to be moved upward and pressed downward thereby and to be held downward by the usual presserrod, depressing-spring, or other equivalent spring. The presser-foot is also adapted to be moved backward and forward with the work-support B and in respect to the end of the presser-rod. The presser-foot is preferably made large enough to cover or very nearly cover the openings b2 in the Work-support B. It has the long throat-opening f1, and it is connected with the plate B to be movable therewith by the long arm f', which extends backward and is pivoted at f2 to the tongue or rearward extension bof the plate B. At its forward end it has adownwardly-extending ear f3 at one side, to which an upwardlyextending section f4 of the presser-foot is detachably secured, preferably by screws, and it is connected to the end of the presser-rod by an arm f5, attached to the end of the presserrod and extending through a long slot]06 in thev plate, which arm bears an antifrictionroll f7, arranged between the under surface of the -end of said arm f and the upper surface of the presser-foot and upon which said arm and presser-foot move as they are caused to be carried backward and forward by the work-plate B. This provides a structure by which the presser-foot while operated in the usual way by the presser rod or bar also has the traveling movements in relation to it specified. The purpose of thus providing the foot with these movements with the workplate is to prevent the material from being accidentally ru'mpled or moved out of place by Contact with the under surface of the presser-foot, the presser-foot having all the horizontal movements of the work-plate.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a mechanism for moving the feed-dog transversely the work-plate which is adapted to provide it with a parallel or straight movement instead of a movement upon a slight arc, or such as the mechanism described in said Patent No. 519,676, and this result is reached by moving the feed-dog and its bar throughout its length to the same extent. This result is reached by providing the rear end c of the feed-dog arm c2 with the slide c', which permits it to be moved across the same to the same extent that the dog is moved instead of being pivoted thereto. This connection is represented as obtained by providing the slide e with a long slot c3 crosswise it, in which a pin c4 at the end of the feed-dog arm projects. The feed-d og-actuating-cam groove c5 is connected whichcarry the feed-dog arm and in which A the feed-dog is moved backward and forward are moved together, and thus transfer in a straight line the feed-dog and its arm. This modification is desirable in sewing absolutely straight seams or lines of stitches.

In Fig. 3 the presser-foot is represented as having at its toe portion g the inclined guide G, open at its top and at its bottom, adapted to receive and hold a narrow fabric like a braid and permit its movement through the same and at the same time prevent lateral movement thereof in relation to the presserfoot or stitching devices, excepting as it is moved in unison with the presser-foot and with the work support. This directs the course of the braid or other narrow fabric to the surface of the material, to which it is attached by stitching of the character specified. (See Fig. 4.)

` I-Iaving thus fully described myinvention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- IOO 1. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the stitch-forming devices thereof, of a feed-dog divided into a series of sections c, mechanism for imparting movements to said feed-dog both crosswise and lengthwise the bed-plate of the machine, a work-plate provided with the slot b4 and with a series of slots b2 in which last-named slots the sections of said feed-dog work and in which they closely iit, said slots alternating with bars b3 which serve to support the material between the said slots, abroad presser-foot connected with said work-plate and adapted to extend over the several sections of said feed-dog, mechanism for reciprocatingsaid presser-foot and workplate transversely to the line of the general work-advancing movements of the said feeddog, and a relatively stationary needle-throat D arranged in the said slot b4.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the stitch-forming devices thereof, of the reciprocating work-plate B provided with the extension b5, the arm f' hinged at its rear end,

at f2, to said extension and provided with the slot f6 at its forward part, the presser-foot F secured to the forward end of said arm and provided with the slot f, and the presser rod or bar provided with the arm f5 extending through said slot f6 and carrying, beneath the said arm f', the antifriction-rollerf?.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination with the stitch-forming devices thereof, of a feed-clog and mechanism for imparting Inovegether simultaneously in their slcleways to ments thereto both lengthwise and crosswise cause Straight-line feeding movements t0 be the bed of the machine, an arm, which said feed-dog' is carried, a plurality of l slides, as c6, 010, which serve as supports for seid arm, and connections between Said slides whereby they are caused t0 reciprocate toas 02, by imparted to said feed-dog.

ARTHUR A. MERRITT. In presence of- H. LAWRENCE WHlTE, HUGH WHITE. 

